Eleven soldiers in ecuador have been sentenced to more than 34 years in prison for the disappearance and murder of four boys. The case, which unfolded against a backdrop of escalating violence and military intervention, has sparked outrage and demands for justice.
The four children – aged 11 to 15 – vanished in December 2023 from Guayaquil, Ecuador’s largest city. Their disappearance coincided with a large-scale military offensive targeting organized crime, initiated by President Daniel Noboa and accompanied by multiple states of emergency and increased troop presence on the streets.
Families reported the boys were last seen leaving home to play football in the Las Malvinas neighborhood. Protesters gathered in Guayaquil on Monday, holding signs with messages like “we are still waiting for justice” and “never forgive, never forget” as the sentences were announced.
Who was involved? Eleven Ecuadorian soldiers were convicted, with five receiving shorter sentences for cooperation.A lieutenant colonel was acquitted. The victims were four boys aged 11-15. Families and legal representatives played a key role in seeking justice.
Five additional soldiers who cooperated with prosecutors received sentences of two-and-a-half years imprisonment. However, a lieutenant colonel implicated in the case, but not directly involved in the patrol, was found not guilty.
According to allegations, the soldiers detained the boys during a nighttime patrol, subjecting them to physical abuse and forcing them to undress. They were then reportedly abandoned in Taura, a remote and dangerous rural area approximately 19 miles south of Guayaquil.
A protester holds a sign that reads: “379 days since the enforced disappearance of the 4 children. We are still waiting for justice”. Pic: Reuters
What happened? Four boys disappeared after being detained by soldiers during a nighttime patrol in Guayaquil. They were abandoned in a dangerous rural area and later found dead, bearing signs of abuse. The incident occurred amidst a government crackdown on organized crime.
One of the boys reportedly contacted his father from Taura, but a subsequent search by the father proved unsuccessful. Days later, four charred bodies were discovered and identified as those of the missing children.
Legal representatives for the families stated that autopsies revealed evidence of injuries and bruising sustained before the boys’ deaths.
“The patrol abandoned the minors in that area, knowing it was dangerous, desolate, and abandoned,” Judge Jovanny Suarez declared during the ruling, which concluded a weeks-long trial.
Lawyers representing the soldiers argued that the prosecution’s evidence was inconclusive, asserting that the soldiers were deployed on patrol without adequate training and had left the minors alive in Taura.
Why did this happen? The incident occurred during a period of heightened military activity aimed at combating organized crime. The soldiers’ actions, allegedly involving detention, abuse, and abandonment, are believed to be directly responsible for the boys’